Main menu

10 Food Destinations in Naga City

On a budget or wanna splurge? These 10 food destinations in Naga City, Camarines Sur will surely be a guide to everyone visiting the Bicol Region. This is a product of my food knowledge for the past 5 trips I did to Naga City.

When in Naga City, you sure don’t want to miss any of these, arranged by order of your meal time so you would not have a hard time where to dine (talk about spoon-feeding):

BREAKFAST

1. Tsokolate Batirol and Pan de Naga / Pan Legazpi at Quality Bakeshop. Nothing fancy, just your regular cup of chocolate goodness and bread with cheese. What I love about this is that you got the view of the park and people walking while you sip hot native chocolate. Budget: Php54

Tsokolate Batirol and Pan Legazpi

Quality Bakeshop right in smack of the town center

2. Buffet Breakfast at Avenue Plaza Hotel. Splurge! I was able to experience this only because I checked-in in their room. Anyway, I love the fried daing called “abu“, me thinks its better than Cebu’s danggit because its not too salty and its perfectly fried- ‘super lutong’ (super crispy) and doesn’t have that much aftertaste.

Look at that “abu” fried daing on my plate? That’s second serving.

LUNCH

3. Mama Enga. This is quite new, tried this first last December 0f 2011. Lots of food choices like Pinangat, Bicol Express, Lumpia, Dinuguan, even Kinalas. Budget: Php50-60/meal

Mama Eñga, also near the town center

4. Face-the-Wall, that hole-in-the-wall SF. Locals call this face-the-wall (because its a little crammed you face the wall) or SF (its near San Francisco church), a treasure trove of uber cheapo food. I love this place when I first saw this on 2009 and whenever I’m in Naga, I always visit this. Also, what I love about this place is that you can eat with the local people, the masses- policemen, students, carpenters, families, office workers. It’s open 24/7, yes you can have your morning coffee or a soup to wash that liquor you drank past 12mn. Must-try: kinunot and pinangat. Budget: Php30/meal

DINNER

6. Geewan. Same with Mama Enga and Face-the-wall, they offer Bicolano cuisine- Pinangat, Bicol express and many more but more classy. This place is always full with both locals and tourist so be patient in looking for a place to sit. What i like about this is the option to bring their goodies as pasalubong. They have frozen laing which I definitely say, you must buy and bring back home. Budget: Php150/head

Geewan

7. Red Platter’s Laing and Kare-Kare. Not only because I love Kare-Kare and Laing but this one restaurant in Magsaysay Avenue is love. Ate here thrice and I love their food, plus the free wi-fi. This is a perfect place if you want to have a nice conversation with the person you are dining with. They also have dessert and how I love their cakes! Budget: Php150-200/head

Pinangat and Bicol express on the small bowl

Kare-Kare! The best food in the world

8. Bob Marlin’s Crispy Pata. Home to the crispiest and best crispy pata in the Philippines. Its crispy outside and chewy on the inside- just how crispy pata should be right? Add the epic soy sauce and I can eat up to 2, no 3, no 4 cups of rice, well make that 4 1/2 cups of rice. Budget: Php150-200/head

Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside

MERIENDA

9. Toasted Siopao at 3N Bakery. A little bit different from Lucban’s fried siopao but so good too! Its unassuming but a perfect merienda, comes with softdrinks or hot soup like Kinalas. I like this for baon, in case you get hungry while traveling back to Manila, you have something to pop. Budget: Php7/piece

Toasted siopao (Photo by Ms. Sheila)

10. Molino Grill’s Kinalas. I know, I know- this is not where you find the authentic one but this is the closest thing because in Dayangdang St (where the best kinalas soup can be found), I always end up with closed doors- yes, kinalas there are quick to run out.But if you are lucky enough, try Kinalas Twin. Budget: Php40

Kinalas from Molino Grill

There you go, have a sumptuous food-trippin in Naga City!

Did I miss something? Please do me a favor by adding your fave food or resto in Naga City. Thanks in advance!

Thanks goes to Ms. Sheila for the toasted siopao photo and giving additional information and details on the restaurants above.

Taste the flavourful combination of coconut meat, seafood, spices, wrapped in gabi! Wouldn’t that be heaven boiling in your every bite? Add to it a spicy taste and coconut milk that would accentuate the rest of the flavors in your mouth. That is “Pinangat” in Naga City cooked into perfection only by Twins Pinangat.

It’s high time we Nagaeunos reclaim the rightful title as the best pinangat maker’s in Bicol and go back to the roots of our palate. As the most progressive City in the Region, we had been busy with modernization so much that nearby provinces made their version too far compared to the original Naga City Pinangat.

Compared to the blunt and boring flavours produced by our neighbouring Provinces, Twins Pinangat the original Pinangat maker of Naga City Pinangat is made from local “gabi” leaves (i.e. taro). Every neighbourhood will have these planted nearby. These leaves are cooked fresh together with a stuffing of coconut meat, spices and seafoods in a boiling coconut milk the succulent flavour produced by Twins Pinangat makes this delicacy a huge hit in the local cuisine of the Philippines.

Let’s support Twins pinangat resuscitate this dying tradition of Naga City, Naga’s Pinangat is the best flavourful you could ever taste.

For orders and inquiries please contact Emi at 09393607171 or 811-38-58.

Ooops! It appears you missed ‘maki’ at Bicol Lunch, close to BDO-Elias Angeles. Maki is made of beef, covered in rice flour and cooked until tender in thick gooey broth. It’s a popular dish among trading folk inside the public market, of which my grandfather’s family once were. One more reason to go back to Naga.

about quality bakery. i’m a nagueno and i went home to naga city for the penafrancia fiesta. quality bakery’s tsokolate and pan legaspi are still good. but what used to be my chilhood favorite, the “quality bread” is now a big disappointment. it’s now soft outside ( no longer crusty/firm) and the taste is no longer creamy and eggy. i don’t find it delicious at all now. i think they’re now scrimping on the ingredients. they should go back to their original recipe to retain their customers.